French Fingerling Potatoes

Seasons/Availability

French fingerling potatoes are available year-round.

Description/Taste

The French fingerling is a petit, sleek and slender heirloom potato. Its rose colored skin is thin and smooth. Its flesh, a marbling of pink and ivory, is succulent, firm and waxy. It has a robust, earthy and buttery flavor when cooked. The entire potato is edible and the average size in length is 2 to 3 inches.

Nutritional Value

The predominant form of nutrition that all red-skinned potato varieties provides is carbohydrates. Regardless of speculation, the flesh and the skin contain equal amounts of nutrition.

Applications

The French fingerling is best suited to roasting and grilling and makes a perfect soup, stew and gratin ingredient.

Geography/History

The French fingerling potato has a history that eludes to folklore. Documentation records that the original seed came to America from Mark Fulford of Monroe, Maine. He went to a farm in France to buy a race horse. On his visit to this farm he discovered the French fingerling potato during a meal there. He remarked at its flavor and qualities. Though he was not allowed to individually return to United States with the actual potato seeds because of quarantine laws, he purchased the race horse and once the horse arrived at Mr. Fulford's home, a singular tuber was found in the bottom of the horse's feedbag (ie: the French fingerling's other common name: Nosebag). Thus, the "inadvertent" importation of the first French fingerling potatoes to America. The now, more widely known French fingerling potato variety, a cross of Vale and Rosa was released as a French cultivar in 1950 under the name Roseval.

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